Explore our knowledge

Tor­sten Ring­berg

Professor

Emner
Forbrugeradfærd B2B B2C

Primary research areas

Em­bod­ied cog­ni­tion
Ring­berg demon­strates how ac­tu­al phys­ic­al sen­sa­tions as well as ima­gined bod­ily move­ments, such as up­ward or down­ward mo­tions, can in­flu­ence psy­cho­lo­gic­al states like self-worth, mo­tiv­a­tion, and con­sumer choices across ser­vice and tour­ist activ­it­ie.
Frame switch­ing & men­tal mod­els
Ring­berg’s work ex­plores how bi­cul­tur­al in­di­vidu­als en­gage in frame switch­ing, ac­tiv­at­ing dis­tinct men­tal mod­els based on cul­tur­al cues like lan­guage. These mod­els shape iden­tity and be­ha­vi­or and af­fect sub­con­scious con­sumer pref­er­ences.
Man­agers stra­tegic mind­set and how it af­fects their mar­ket ap­proach and use of di­git­al tech­no­lo­gies
Ring­berg’s re­search il­lus­trates how man­agers’ dif­fer­ent stra­tegic mind­set shapes how they en­gage with mar­kets and the cus­tom­er jour­ney as well as de­ploy di­git­al tech­no­lo­gies (Big Data, AI). It also il­lus­trates how or­gan­iz­a­tions do not ne­ces­sar­ily need to rely on new tech­no­lo­gies to cre­ate cus­tom­er value drive trans­formation.
Know­ledge and sense­mak­ing trans­fer in or­gan­iz­a­tions
Ring­berg and Reih­len pro­pose a so­cio-cog­nit­ive mod­el of know­ledge trans­fer, ar­guing that mean­ing is shaped by in­di­vidu­als’ cog­nit­ive and cul­tur­al frame­works. Know­ledge isn’t simply trans­mit­ted—it’s in­ter­preted through per­son­al and so­cial lenses, mak­ing trans­fer in­her­ently tent­at­ive and con­text-de­pend­ent.

My re­search helps busi­nesses con­nect with con­sumers in more mean­ing­ful ways

1. Strategic Leadership in the Digital Age 

Ringberg’s research shows that technology alone doesn’t drive innovation—leaders must evolve their strategic mindsets and avoid categorial thinking and outdated assumptions, thereby ensuring the optimal use of data and new technologies to improved customer engagement, radical innovations, and competitive advantage. 

2. Advancing Understanding of Mental Models 

Ringberg has advanced the study of mental models among both consumers and managerial research by revealing how they shape behavior and decision-making. His research spans from consumer service recovery preferences to managers’ strategic choice. He also shows how bilingual-bicultural shift identity and values depending on language use. 

3. Embodied Cognition 

Ringberg’s work on embodied cognition highlights the role of sensory experiences in shaping thoughts and preferences. His research explores its impact on creative decision-making, tourism, and identity formation, contributing to a deeper understanding of how people engage with brands, social media, and information processing. 

4. Bridging Theory and Practice for Innovation 

Ringberg connects academic research with real-world business challenges. His work fosters innovation and strategic thinking, especially in SMEs navigating digital transformation and big data. By translating complex insights into actionable strategies, he helps organizations adapt and thrive in a rapidly evolving technological landscape. 

Recent research projects

Mind­set and tech­no­lo­gies used to pre­dict tour­ist be­ha­vi­or and pref­er­ences.

The para­dox of us­ing un­nat­ur­al means to at­tain nat­ur­al beauty.

Pa­tient in­volve­ment in med­ic­al de­cision-mak­ing